July Giveaway Patrones Extra No 13

This month’s giveaway is Patrones Extra No. 13 Costura Facil (easy makes) – part of their best of line (which is why some or all of the patterns may look familiar). There are 62 patterns ranging in size from EU 38-48 (bust sizes 84-104). Patrones only prints every other size i.e. 40, 44, 48 or 38, 42, 46 so if you’re in between sizes you have to draw in/ grade in your line between the pattern lines provided.

Before I get into it, I’d like to make a quick tangent. Recently I noticed something strange about some of the comments on my giveaway posts and I Googled the commentators. All three searches returned 8+ Google pages of comments they’d made on giveaways held on various blogs, many of which these commentators had won. This by itself, if not the problem-if all of your online interactions (i.e. 300+ or upwards of 23+ a day) involve commenting on giveaway posts then, statistically, you’re bound to win some. The problem, as I see it, was that one of these people had an Ebay account (using the same handle/email) where he/ she was selling his/her giveaway winnings. While it is in no way my business what people do with the stuff I give away, if I wanted it to end up on Ebay, it’d be easier for me to put it there myself. The reason I go to great lengths obtaining give away items, reviewing them here, and spending on postage and packaging is because I want to sew socially, i.e. get to know and interact with other people that sew. My hope is that these things will get used in actual projects which then get posted on your blog/ Flickr/ forum account and foster positive engagement and discussion in the sewing community online.

Having said that, let’s get to the meat.

L: Lindsay Lohan after a couple of: hits of heroine/ lines of cocaine/ quarts of baby blood/ all of the above. R: I didn’t do it! Her head came pre-cut.

The skirt on the left is my absolute favourite of the lot. I love it. It’s why I actually picked up this issue: I wanted to make the skirt out of the gorgeous dupion silkdashingmarmotsent me for the +1/*1swap, then I got distracted by something shiny (that made better use of the yardage I had). I like the skirt on the right too, it’s perfect for those weird silk remnants that totally clash with your colouring – the drape shows the fabric off well and you can have something else (that does suit you) between it and your face. That’s not a deep hem by the way-it’s a panel that you could make up in contrast fabric/ trim.

The next two patterns are from the vintage-inspired section. The coat is the perfect minimalist vehicle for showcasing textured or patterned fabric, the clean lines and bare silhouette really appeal to me (I searched for the original issue this came from for years-because of this coat). It’d probably look pretty awesome in crushed linen or chambray as well.

There’s also a Western-themed section with some really cool shirt patterns. I love the sleeveless shirt – perfect for Madras plaid – which I normally avoid like Toxoplasma but which, thanks to this pattern, is growing on me (like a fungus). It would also rock in a fine lawn or embroidered toile.

Conclusion: This chick looks totally messed up without a hat on.

There’s also a bunch of really nice blazers (wool and linen in various styles) and a couple of trousers and a whole bunch of skirts, blouses, camisoles and singlets.

First they Photoshop my belly button off, then they put it back but not in the right place, and still.. I keep smiling like the neighbours are watching.

This blouse is my favourite of the lot – I’m not a fan of the fabric combination they’ve used but the pattern has truckloads of potential for both patterned as well as solid (contrast) fabrics.

Just double checking that 48-hour freshness claim. Still good yo!

Want it? Leave a comment on this post and any other post(s) in this blog. I’d like to know if you’ve made something from Patrones or other sewing magazine patterns before [if you have a blog where you’ve posted your makes please link the (exact) post in your comment] and which patterns you’d like to make from this issue.

As always, this giveaway is open internationally and will end at the end of the month (July 31st, 2012).

Disclaimer: All images are used under fair use guidelines for purposes of review and discussion, and remain copyright of their original owners.